1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which, for example, receives setting information from an application server, and operates based on the received setting information, and an image forming method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been an increase in the number of MFPs which not only have an authentication function to impose user restriction on an apparatus as a whole but also on some functions (for example, a transmission function) of the apparatus. In this specification, authentication for the use of an apparatus itself is referred to as device authentication. Authentication limited to specific functions of an apparatus is referred to as application authentication. For example, for a customer who wants to allow everyone to freely use a copy function but restrict the use of a transmission function to authorized users having passed authentication, application authentication may be a preferred solution.
In general, authentication used by an MFP is often determined based on setting information preset in the MFP. That is, a system administrator or a serviceman who installs the MFP makes proper settings, and then the MFP starts/operates based on the set setting information.
On the other hand, in terms of low installation cost/low maintenance cost, some MFPs have no setting function, and start/operate based on setting information held in an external application server. For example, the following method has been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-123009). That is, UI setting information for each user is registered in a server in advance. An MFP receives UI setting information corresponding to a user ID used to log in the MFP, and customizes its UI (User Interface).
In a system in which a server makes settings of an MFP, the setting information of the server may contain setting information directly exerting an influence on the start processing of the MFP such as “device authentication or application authentication” for selecting an authentication service. In such system, the MFP cannot complete its start processing unless it has received basic setting information associated with the start processing from the server.
Therefore, the MFP generally displays a message indicating “waiting for setting information of a server” on the UI, and does not perform authentication until reception of the setting information is completed, thereby keeping the user wait. Also, as for an MFP which is used only through application authentication, it is impossible to use all the functions of the MFP until setting is completed every time the MFP restarts, thereby deteriorating the operability.
Moreover, an MFP may continuously be in a state of “waiting for setting information of a server” for a long time due to a server being down or network failure. In this situation, in spite of application authentication, it is impossible to use all the functions of the MFP during down time, resulting in very inconvenience.